Manipulator



June 15 1926.

- r 1,588,486 I -E. w. MIKAELSON I MANIPULATCR I Filed Jan. 1922 4Sfxeets-Shget 1 V INVENTOR ATTORNEY June 15 1926.

I I 1,588,486 E. w. MIKAELSON I MANIPULATOR 4 4 Sheds-Sheet 2 8 FiledJan. 24. 1922 mwuo o .lN VENTOR ATTORNEY June 15 1926. 1 1 E. w.MlKAELSON MAN IPULATOR 4 Sheets-Sheet '3 Filed Jan. 24. 1922 INVENTORATTORNEY E. w. MIKAELSON MANIPULATOR Filed Jan. 24, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet4 N 5 a. 2 m

Win A lli w Q N VENTOR A TTORNE Y ill Patented June 15, 1926.

UNITED STATES ATENT" OFFICE,

ERIK-W. MIKAELSON, OF EASION, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO TREADWELL EN-GINEERING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA. v

MANIPULATOR.

Application filed January 24, 1922. Serial No. 531,336.

This invention relates to a billet manipulator as associated with arolling mill on the roller table for positively engaging and rotating abillet between passes.

An object of this invention is the production of a device of the typespecified wlnch will be of simple and rugged construction, economical toinstall and maintain, and sure and positive in its operation, and moreespe cially intended for turning over rectangular billets in order todispense with hand labor. lVhile devices. are known which worksatisfactorily for the first passes when the billets are ofcomparatively large cross section, hand labor is frequently necessaryfor the last passes because known devices of the lifting finger type arenot suited to the shape and length of a small rectangular billet. Thisinvention provides a device which is especially adapted for thispurpose, which now requires hand labor.

According to this invention, guiding means is positioned on the rollertable to receive the billet from a pass and position it ready to beturned 90 in its longitudinal axis, and then the table drops and thebillet is automatically turned over or manipulated into position for thenext pass. The manipulator of this invention is characterized by thepositive engagement of the billet at diagonal corners by separateengaging devices and rolling it over by relative opposite approachingmovement thereof while so holding the billet, these devices then lettinggo and moving out of the way so that the table can feed the billet tothe next pass. The invention is applicable to various forms of movablebillet tables, a vertically bodily movable type being shown herein.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the description of theaccompanying drawings, and the novel features of the invention will beparticularly pointed out in the appended claims. 1 r

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a mechanism embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional xiew on the line IIII of Figure 1;

, Figure 3 is a vertical sectional View on the line IIIIII of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view on the line IV-IV of Figure 1Figure 5 is a fragmentary diagrammatic view showing the operation ofrotating a billet, the parts being viewed'from the same position as theparts shown in igure .4, and Figure 6 is a similar view showing thefinal position. 7 o I The general arrangement of so much of an ordinarytable as suffices to show my invention is shown in Figure 1. This tablehas side beams 6 and 7, also shown'in section I -1n- Figures 2, 3 and 4.The sidebea'ms at intervals support journal boxes 8, 9, 10, '11 and 12,shown in Figures 3 and 4. Within the journal boxes and supported therebyare the bearing ends of rollers 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17. In order torotate these rollers a shaft 18, connected in any convenient orappropriate manner to a controllable motor is provided. Journals as 19and 20 are'provided for shaft 18 at proper intervals, and bevel gearsas21 and 22, are fastened to the shaft and mesh with bevel earsfas 23 and24, fastened to the ends of the rollers, as 17 and 16. \Vhe'n shaft 18is caused to rotate, a billet deposited on the right hand end of thetable moved in the direction of the arrow 25 of Figure 1. I employ an Ishaped cross beam 26, see Figure 2, to connect the twoside beams atonepoint. This beam is connected to the side beams by brackets 27 and 28and bolts-29. I also employ a specially formed cross beam 30 for cross,connecting the side beams through bolts 31. At still another point Iconnect the sidebeams 6 and 7 by speclalcross beams 32, attached bybolts 33. il ltiese cross beams support the billet manipua or. e

On cross beam 26 is journal 34, shown in Figure 2; on' cross beam-3O isjournal 35, shown in Figure 3, and on cross beam 32 is journal 36 forsupporting rocker shaft 37. Rocker shaft 37 carries the two arm crank38, one arm carrying weight 39, and the other a roller 40. Below roller40 isa'statlonary cam member 41, held by bolts 42.

It is evident from Figure 2 that if the table including side beams 6 and7 and cross beam 26 is caused to rise and fall by the ordinary andwell-known method, then when the table is in the position asshown inFigure 2, the crank 38 will be in the position shown in full lines'inFigure 2, and when the table is lowered the crank 38' will assume theposition shown in dotted lines in Figure 2. This rocks shaft 37 inthe-direction of arrow 43, Figure 2, when "the a'sviewed in Figure 1will be table drops and oppositely when the table rises.

The motion of rocker-shaft 37, in the direction of arrow 44 of Figure 3is transmitted by crank arm 45, to link 46 and movable side guard 47pivoted at 56 on bracket 74 of Figure 1, so that when the table is up,the side guard will be in the position as shown in full lines in Figure3, but when the table is down the movable side guard 47 will be in theposition as shown in dotted lines in Figure 3. This movable side guardhas a roller 48 journalle'd in its lower end, resting on a platform 49,supported by cross beam 30 and positioned above the rolls. A billettravelling along the rolls will contact with guard 47 and be guided intoa sort of throat formed by the inclined movable side guard 47 and afixed inclined guide 51, shown in Figure 1. The fixed guide is supportedadjacent one end by bracket 52, on I beam 53, supported on side beams 6and 7, and adjacent the other end by bracket 54 supported on cross beam30.

When a billet is advancing by the motion of the rollers 18, 14, 15, 16,etc., it is guided accurately by the fixed side guard 51 and the movableside guard 47 into the throat, into the position as shown by 55 ofFigure 1, and the table is thereupon lowered which causes 'movable sideguard 47 to be moved to the dotted line position as shown in Figure 3,out of the way of billet 55.

Simultaneously with movable side guarc 47 being moved out of the way ofbillet 55, the billet is turned. To accomplish this, I provide a stop orabutment 56 against which the lower right hand edge of the billet, asviewed in Figure 4, may abut while force is laterally applied to theupper left hand edge of the billet to cause turning. The abutment 56comprises a plate of tough steel fastened by screws 57 to lever 58. Thelever 58 is pivoted on pin 59 journaled in a bracket 60 supported byside beam 7 and cross beam 32. lVhen the table is in upper position, thelever 58 is in the position as shown in full lines in Figure 4, but whenthe table is lowered the lever 58 is raised to the posi tion shown inFigure 5. Figure 6 shows the final position. 'In order to raise thelever when the table falls, I provide the left hand under end of thelever with a cam surface 61 against which the'roller 62 journaled in theend of lever bears. hen lever 63 turns on its pivot 64, j ournalled in?cross beam 32, the roller 62 riding against cam surface 61, forces lever58 into the positions shown in Figures 5 and 6.

The movement of crank 63 is simultaneous with that of lever 65, rigidlyfastened to shaft 37, by reason of'link 66 connecting the two. The lever65 forms a pivot for turning head 66 by pin 67, the lever 65 shownin-Figs. 5 and 6, fitting between the bifurcated end of the head 66, sothat simultaneously with the movement of lever 58 up wardly, as inFigure 4, the turning head 66 starts to move. The head 66 consists of abroad flat bottomed casting, with the side at the guide 47 drawn backand head 66 resting.

on the billet. Shoulder 7 0 contacts with the upper left handedge ofbillet 55, and shoulder or abutment 56 of lever 58 with the right handlower edge. The head 66 new continues to move to the right and thebillet is turned over 90". After the billet is turned, the head 66swings upward and lever 58 downwarl, see Figure 6, with the billet onrollers 18, etc., ready to be fed into the nest pass. After the billethas gone through this pass, upon raising thetable, the parts have thepositions shown in Figures 3 and 4, ready for the next billet. Whilelever 58 preferably does not move laterally as head 66 moves oppositely,the important feature is the relative opposite movement between theseparts, and I intend to cover such movement broadly.

As shoulder 70 has a very heavy duty to perform I prefer to form thisshoulder of a 'block 71 of tough and wear-resisting material such asmanganese steel, set into lever 66 and held therein in place by setscrew 7 2,-

fastened by lock nut 73. A similar construction is used for plate 56.

This mechanism replaces hand labor and effectually turns rectangularbillets which previous devices used only for early passes do not handle,and which so far as I am aware, simply rely on a finger or fingers forturning the relatively sh ort billet over by lifting one or ge, whereasthis mechanism positively acts on diagonal corners of the billet, verymuch in the manner of the long hand wrench now used by the rollers wherethe cross section is reduced. \"Vhere I say corner, I do not restrictmyself to the exact corners, but mean to include, as herein shown, aturning engagement on. opposite sides in different planes, it beingobvious that the greatest turning moment is with the e gfiagement asnear diagonal corners as pos- S1 e.

Various modifications and changes may be made without departing from thescope of the appended claims.

hat I claim is:

1. In, a billet manipulator, the combination with a roller table, of anabutment adapted to engage a lower corner of the billet, meansforguiding the billet into a position for cooperation with said abutmentas said billet is moved over the table, and means laterally movablerelative to said abutment, adapted to engage a diagonally oppositecorner of the billet for turning it about said abutment.

2. In a billet manipulator, the combination with a roller table, ofmeans extending longitudinally of the table for guiding a billet intoposition to be turned, and automatic means for laterally moving at leasta portion of said guiding means to permit the billet to be turned overfor the next pass.

3. In a billet manipulator, the combination with a table comprising aplurality of rollers, of abutments located between rollers, and adaptedto engage diagonally opposite corners of the billet, mechanism forproducing relativemovement between said abutments and means laterallytoward each other to turn the billet without lifting the same on thetable. w

4. In a billet manipulator-in combination with a roller table, anabutment engaging a corner of a billet to be turned, means for movingthe abutmentintoand out of operative position, and laterally movablemeans engaging the opposite diagonal corner for turning the billet onthe abutment as center.

5. In a billet manipulator in combination with a vertically movableroller table, a rigid cam positioned beneath the, table, and meansoperated by the cam upon a movement of the table for rotating a billeton its longitudinal axis.

6. In a billet manipulator, the combination with a roller table, of aguide means fordirecting a billet being moved over said table, means forremoving sait guide means from adjacent said billet, an abutmentadjacent the lower edge of a billet after being moved into position bysaid guide means, means for raising said abutmet relative to the tableafter removal of said guide means and for lowering said abutment afterthe billet has been turned, and transversely movable means engaging adiagonally opposite corner of a billet from said abutment for turningsaid billet about said abutment.

7. In a billet manipulator, the combination with a roller table, of aguide means for directing a billet while being moved over said table,means for removing said guide means from beside a billet, an abutmentadjacent the lower edge of a billet after being moved into position bysaid guide means,

IEEIDSIOI raising said abutment relative to the table after removal ofsaid guide means and for lowering said abutment after a billet has beenturned, a transversely movable head mounted above said table to beraised and lowered relative thereto, and means movable with saidabutment for simultaneously lowering said head and transversely movingthe same to engage billets of different sizes at the diagonally oppositecorner from said abutment. I p

8. In a billet manipulator, the combination with a roller table, of anabutment transversely fixed relative thereto and pro ecting above thesurface of the table to en gage the lower corner of a billet, a head pivthe table and a movable guide on the table and controlled by the tablepositiongandan abutment engaging a corner of a billet to be turned, anda laterally movable means e11- gaging the opposite diagonal corner forturning the billet on the abutment. v 10. In a billet manipulator in.combination with-a roller table, a pivoted guide inclined lengthwise ofand carried by the table 5' means operated by a movement of. the tablefor swinging the guide, and a fixed inclined guide carried by the tableabove the rollers and cooperating to form with the movable guide acontracting passageway ending a throat for a billet, and billet turningmeans between said guides.- H

11. Ina billet manipulator, alever formed with a shoulder, a pivot forthelever, means for swinging the lever to bring the shoulder intoengagement with'the. edge of a billet; a second level-formed with ashoulder; means for supporting and swinging the said second lever sothat the shoulder will engage a diagonally opposite edge of the billetand turn on the shoulder of the first lever 12. In a billet manipulatora lever journaled intermediateits ends, a second lever pivoted on oneend of the first lever and formed with a shoulder; a cam positionedbelow the second lever; a roller journalled in the second lever andbearing on the cam, and means for operating the first lever whereby thesecond lever is' moved in a path governed bythe camto engage a corner ofthe billet and the shoulder of the first lever engages a diagonal cornerof the billet to rotate it.

13. In a billet manipulator a lever journaled intermediate its ends, asecond lever journal-ed intermediate its ends, a link connecting one endof the first lever with one end of. the second lever and means operatedby the levers for rotating a billet.

I l. In a billet manipulator, a lever journ'aled intermediate its ends,a second lever journalled intermediate its ends, a link connecting oneend of the first lever with one end of the second lever, a third leverformed with a shoulder, a pivot for the third lever, a fourth leverformed with a should-er, a pivot in the free end of the first lever forthe third lever, a cam positioned beneath the third lever, an arm on thethird lever bearing on the cam position-ed thereunder, and means foroperating the first lever, whereby the second lever is moved to-aetuatethe fourth lever, and the fourth lever moves in a path governed by thesecond lever and whereby a billet is caught at diagonally Opposite edgesbetween the shoulder on tile third lever and the shoulder on the fourthlever and rotated.

15. In a billet manipulator, the combination with a roller table, ofmeans movable with respect to said table for turning the billet thereon,and inclined, guiding means for directing the billet into cooperationwith said first mentioned means, said guiding means being movable out ofthe way of said first mentioned means and billet in turnin 16. In abillet manipulator, two pivoted levers each formed with a shoulder andmeans including cams whereby said levers are simultaneously moved toengage a billet between the shoulders on diagonally oppo' site cornersand rotate it.

17. In .a billet manipulator in combination with a movable roller table,a cam, an arm carried by the table and bearing against the cam wherebywhen the table is moved the arm oscillates; and means operated by thearm for engaging-opposite corners of a billet and rotating 1t. I

18. In a billet manipulatorin combination with a movable roller table, acam, an arm bearing on the cam whereby when the table is moved the armoscillates, and means operated by the cam for positioning the billet andfor engaging the billet at opposite corners and-rotating it.

19. In a billet manipulator in con'ibination with a movable rollertable, a cam positioned beneath the table; a longitudinal shaft supported by the table; an arm on the shaft and bearing on the cam, wherebywhen the table ismove-d the arm and the shaft oscillate; andmeans'operated by the shaft for rotating the billet.

20. In a billet manipulator, the combination with a roller table, of anabutment adapted toengage a lower corner of the billet, and meansmovable both upwardly and laterally through'said table for engage: ing adiagonally opposite corner and turn ing the billet about said abutmentwithout lilting it OK the table.

21. In a billet manipulator, a roller table to receive billets from apass and convey them to another pass n a dilierent plane, means torguiding the billet as delivered from the first pass to position forturning over, and means engaging opposite corners of the billet forturning it upon movement of the table for the next pass.

22. In a billet manipulator, tion with a roller table, of guide meansfor directing the billet into position to be turned, an abutment adaptedto engage a lower corner of the billet, means adapted to ena diagonallyopposite corner of said billet, mechanism for moving at least a por tionof the guide means out of the way, and for moving said abutment intoposition, and mechanism for automatically producing relative lateralmovement between the abutment and means engaging the diagonally oppositecornerof the billet;

23. In a billet manipulator, the combina-' sent WMIKAELsON.

the combina-

